Nicholas Pepe has so far failed to deliver the goods since making his record move to Arsenal in the summer. The Ivory Coast international has scored just three goals and recorded three assists despite moving for 72 Million pounds from Lille.
The winger has received widespread criticism from fans and the media for his performances. However, Arsenal legend and club leading goalscorer Thierry Henry has warned Pepe against paying attention to the criticism as it might affect his performances.
“When you arrive like that, you’re always going to be talked about & people are always going to target you. Forget about the price tag. He didn’t ask to be bought for that amount. He needs to make sure he doesn’t listen to that & go out and perform. People need to forget about the price tag. He didn’t ask to be bought for that amount of money himself. It’s not always easy to arrive in a team, adapt to a new style of play,’ Henry said on sky sports.
Pepe scored 22 goals for Lille last season but has not started in the last three Premier League matches that Arsenal has played with manager Unai Emery claiming that the player is not yet at the required level. He was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw with Wolves before being benched again against Palace and Leicester City.
Arsenal is nine points off the top four in the English Premier League table and will face Southampton at home in their next league match after the International Break.